With the release of FIFA 23, there are issues with the PC version. The “anti-cheat error” is now also clearly noticeable in the Steam reviews of the game.
FIFA 23 is supposed to represent a significant leap for players on PC. This year, the PC version is catching up with the versions for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, gaining new features like HyperMotion and thus enhanced gameplay and animations.
Additionally, various crossplay components have been introduced for FIFA 23. In this context, EA also presented a new anti-cheat system for FIFA 23. And that’s what’s causing problems right now.
Users are now venting their frustrations on Steam.
Anti-Cheat Error Dominates Reviews on Steam for FIFA 23
This is how FIFA 23 is currently performing on Steam: The ratings for FIFA 23 are in the red, marked as “mostly negative”. Only 31% of the approximately 3,200 reviews (as of October 1, 11:00 AM) are positive.
In comparison: FIFA 22 currently stands at 80% positive overall reviews (about 87,000) and is rated as “very positive” – even though the series is repeatedly criticized for its pack mechanics.
This is what users say: The negative reviews mainly revolve around the anti-cheat error and issues with starting the game. Many users complain that they simply cannot access the game.
These issues have persisted since the start of early access. Therefore, some criticize that there was no complete solution to the problem during this time, and that they couldn’t play during the time they spent money on EA Play or the pre-ordered Ultimate Edition.
Some users are expressing their frustration in the reviews:
- “I guess the anti-cheat works, because if you can’t play, you can’t cheat,” comments user rmgerro (via Steam).
- “70 euros for trying to fix the EA anti-cheat bug for hours – with no success. The game simply doesn’t start due to this issue […]” commented user MИO (via Steam).
- “I can’t get on either, not last night and not now either. I’ll wait until tonight, and if I still can’t play, I’ll return the game,” writes user “Totti” (via Steam).
Currently, only in rare cases are reviews for the Steam version positive; the difficult launch is dragging down the mood. Some players who have managed to get into the game at least praise the game itself in the reviews – things like gameplay or career mode.
User “Julgine” writes, for instance: “The game itself is really well done. The new engine and crossplay are perfect on PC. There’s just one problem… The anti-cheat bug […]” (via Steam).
EA Investigates Launch Issues on PC for FIFA 23
What does EA say about it? At the launch of the standard edition, EA Sports briefly addressed the issues on PC in the “Top Bins” video.
They are currently being investigated, and one should keep an eye on the anti-cheat page from EA Help as well as the updates in the “EA SF” tracker on Trello. Here, updates and workarounds regarding the problem should be provided as soon as available.
- On the anti-cheat page, it is explained how to uninstall EA AntiCheat. For this, you search under C:Program FilesEAAC for the file “EAAntiCheat-Installer.exe”, with which you open the installer and then remove the program via “Uninstall”.
- The problem: Without the anti-cheat, FIFA 23 actually doesn’t start. However, some users reported that uninstalling anti-cheat once and then reinstalling it via the launch of FIFA 23 helped as a workaround.
- In the “EA Sports FIFA Tracker”, EA also describes that one should run Origin or the EA App and EA AntiCheat as an administrator, even if the game was downloaded via Steam or the Epic Games Store (via Trello).
- Additionally, further errors that are currently being investigated are listed under “Investigating”.
- There is an error message called “unrecoverable error” that interrupts the launch. Here, one should try to start the game via Secure Boot.
- Some also encounter the “EA AntiCheat Error” during the update process. Here, one should dismiss the message and restart the game.
- Other anti-cheat apps may conflict with EA AntiCheat and cause problems. They should be uninstalled.
Other players have also been discussing the issues on PC and searching for workarounds for the PC difficulties.
Currently, the issues on Steam are certainly creating a negative image in the reviews. What experiences have you had with FIFA 23 on PC so far? Have you found solutions to the problems? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
